B5 (CD - 2005)

Personnel: B5 (background vocals); French (vocals, programming); Keri Hilson (vocals, background vocals); J. Prince, Carol Paryo (guitar); Calvin Waters, Alvin Waters, Stevie J. (programming); Chip Days, Sam Salter (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Alvin Speights; Paul Logus; Rich Keller; Steve Sola.

Recording information: 2nd Floor Recording, Orlando, FL; C. Scott Music; Capstone Music Works; Capstone Recording Studio, Atlanta, GA; Daddy's House Recording Studio, NY; Moodswing Studios, Atlanta, GA; Second Floor Studios; Take Note Studios, Atlanta, GA; The Machine, Atlanta, GA; ZAC Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; Zach's Recording Studios, NY.

Arranger: Wirlie Morris.

That they were signed by P. Diddy to Bad Boy Entertainment might give one the wrong idea about funky teen group B5. In the tradition of the Jackson 5 and New Edition, the outfit--consisting of the five Breeding brothers--purveys flawlessly produced pop-oriented R&B tracks with a sense of charged innocence. They open their self-titled debut with a short, a cappella take on the Beatles classic "Let It Be," and never get much more controversial than that.

The first full track (and lead single), "U Got Me," opens with a vinyl crackle and a classic hip-hop exhortation, before harmonizing the way one might expect from five young men who have been singing together since their earliest days. The group proves it can fill the void left by now defunct Bad Boy teen band B2K on tracks like "Dance For You," do 1990s-style Boyz II Men vocals on "All I Do," and channel the Jackson 5 on "Back in My Arms," which even samples young Michael's "I Wanna Be Where You Are." On this outstanding first record, B5 hint that they might become one of the more refreshing voices in mid-2000s R&B. minimize